Planning Your Trip

Paris is the capital and primate city of
France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river
Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Ile-de-France region.
The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged
since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,203,817 (January 2006).

An important settlement for more than two
millennia, Paris is today one of the world's leading business and
cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education,
entertainment, media, fashion, science and the arts all contribute to
its status as one of the world's major global cities.

Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (IATA: CDG,
ICAO: LFPG), also known as Roissy Airport (or just Roissy in French), in
the Paris area, is one of the world's principal aviation centres, as
well as France's main airport. It is named after Charles de Gaulle
(1890-1970), leader of the Free French Forces and founder of the French
Fifth Republic. It is located within portions of several communes, 25 km
(16 mi) to the north-east of Paris. The airport serves as the principal
hub for Air France.

Paris - Orly Airport is an airport located
partially in Orly and partially in Villeneuve-le-Roi, 7 NM (13 km; 8.1
mi) south of Paris, France. It has flights to cities in Europe, the
Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. Prior to the
construction of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly was the main airport of
Paris. Even with the shift of most international traffic to Charles de
Gaulle Airport, Orly remains the busiest French airport for domestic
traffic and the second busiest French airport overall in terms of
passenger boardings.

Driving in Paris

Driving is a great option for going to some
sights in the suburbs such as Vaux-le-Vicomte castle or the castle and
city at Fontainebleau, or for starting to other places in France.

Traffic rules in Paris are basically the same
as elsewhere in France, with the exception of having to yield to
incoming traffic on roundabouts. However, driving in dense traffic in
Paris and suburbs during commute times, can be especially strenuous. Be
prepared for traffic jams, cars changing lanes at short notice, and so
on. Another issue is pedestrians, who tend to fearlessly jaywalk more in
Paris than in other French cities. Be prepared for pedestrians crossing
the street on red, and expect similar adventurous behavior from
cyclists. Remember that even if a pedestrian or cyclist crossed on red,
if you hit him, you (in fact, your insurance) will have to bear civil
responsibility for the damages, and possibly prosecution for failing to
control your vehicle.

Paris has several beltway systems. There is a
series of boulevards named after Napoleonic-era generals (Boulevard
Massena, Boulevard Ney, and so forth), and collectively referred to as
boulevard des marechaux. These are normal wide avenues, with traffic
lights. Somewhat outside of this boulevard is the boulevard
peripherique, a freeway-style beltway. The peripherique interieur is the
inner lanes (going clockwise), the peripherique exterieur the outer
lanes (going counter-clockwise). Note that despite the looks, the
peripherique is not an autoroute: the speed limit is 80 and, very
unusually, incoming traffic has the right of way, at least theoretically
(presumably because, otherwise, nobody would be able to enter during
rush hour).

Compare Cheap Paris Car Hire

Try our simple-to-use booking engine to compare car hire deals at
Paris. Type in your pickup and drop off locations & other
information required and we'll immediately provide you with some
quotations. Whether you're after an economy Paris car hire, or a luxury
Paris rental vehicle, we have the perfect deal for you. Our low cost car
rentals are provided by well-known suppliers such as Avis, Hertz and
Europcar, but we can often provide better car hire rates!

The city of Paris has many attractions within its boundaries however there are a lot more situated on the outskirts. The surrounding countryside is also worth exploring, just as much as Paris itself. By hiring a car, and heading out of the city, you will see exactly the diversity that the region has to offer. Here are our ideas to get you started

Day Trips from Paris by Car

The Palace of Versailles is roughly a half hour drive from the outskirts of Paris. Built by Louis the XIII, it covers 18,000 square meters and is a fantastic portray of French royalty. It also ironically marked their downfall in 1789, when the French revolution reached its gates. As the last home of the former Marie Antoinette, it contains many French historical treasures and is one of the largest museums in the world.

Additional info: Open Tuesdays to Sundays, except on public holidays.

The Chateau of Chantilly is another grand building displaying initiative architecture trends. Tickets are sold online which enable you to tour the whole estate covering 1900 acres. Activities to see and do include 12 rooms of ancient paintings known as the Conde museum, see a collection of priceless books and documents in the library, stroll around the gardens and park, and visit the Horse Museum. Functions and events are regularly held and this chateau is an ideal family activity

Additional info: Open every day except Tuesday.

Disneyland Paris is another activity that will certainly delight the kids. Located 32km from the centre of Paris, the resort is an amazing combination of rides, thrills, and attractions including the Space Mission and Big Thunder Mountain. If you are on your way to other areas in France, consider checking in overnight to enjoy the spectacular nighttime shows.

Provins is a medieval fair town that is also a UNESCO world heritage site and the former capital for the counts of Champagne. Great for adults and kids, there are regular medieval shows, festivals, and events. There are four large monuments to see including Caesar Tower and hiking trails within the park are for those who love to get outdoors. This is another establishment with overnight accommodation for families.

Get Around Paris

All the above attractions can be reached using local car hire. Use this search comparison tool to source prices from local suppliersIf you are on a road trip or considering a long stay within Paris and France, car leasing may be the ideal option for you. Supplied by Citroen, Peugeot and Renault, further details are available here.

Paris Rental Locations

Customer Reviews

Fantastic Experience in France

Hi Michael,

We only got back on Friday night , late, but very excited about our whole journey over the last three months in France and Spain.

As you know we leased our car, a Renault Dacia Duster, for a period of 69 days, picking it up at Paris Orly airport and delivering it at Nice.

It was a dream run all the way!.

We originally thought it couldn’t be that easy, but it was. The car was there ready and waiting, we signed a few papers and within 20 minutes we were on our way. We covered over 7,000km and the car never missed a beat. It was clean, comfortable and definitely the right choice for our needs.

The only recommendation I can make is that the car instruction manual be made available in English, as there were a few things that we wanted to know about the car and it was in French, and our French wasn’t that good!.

Michael, it was the way to go for us as we like to drive, and the whole experience was perfect.

Thank you for your patience in the first instance and the subsequent follow up arrangements.

Cheers for now, we will talk to you again about our next trip in due course.

Regards

Steve & Cathy

Steve & Cathy

Peugeot Car Hire From Udrive

We were very happy with the arrangement. Car was ready on time and we
did over 5500 Kms without a hitch. Puegot performed very well and very
economical on fuel. We will use your setup again.